Staff Reports
The TallyMadness Final Four is set.
After a 24-hour flurry of votes, BillieAnne Gay, Justin Thames, Corinne Mixon and Nick Matthews are advancing to the semifinals in Florida Politics’ annual March Madness-inspired competition to determine the “best” lobbyist in the state.
Gay, who represents the Florida School Boards Association, defeated Rubin Turnbull’s Amy Biseglia to earn a coveted spot in the Final Four. Her path got off to a rocky start — she narrowly defeated Sarah Suskey in the first round — but she has dominated ever since, garnering two-thirds of the vote in her next two matchups.
Mixon has had a similar run through four rounds. After a close match against Katie Flury, the Rutledge Ecenia lobbyist ran up the score in the second and third rounds.
Matthews and Thames, meanwhile, have put up big numbers throughout.
Thames, who represents the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, earned no less than 60% of the vote in each round leading up to his faceoff with Metz Husband & Daughton’s Alli Liby-Schoonover.
Matthews of Becker Poliakoff has notched two-thirds support throughout the tournament before going up against Lewis Longman & Walker’s Natalie Kato in the fourth round.
Voting is open in the semifinals through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
